Marseille extended their lead at the top of Ligue 1 to four points with a 2-0 victory over Nantes tonight.
First-half goals from Florian Thauvin and Rod Fanni earned the hosts a seventh straight win at Stade Velodrome and left their opponents 10 points adrift.
© Getty Images
Marcelo Bielsa's side had seen their title credentials questioned following two defeats in four games, and were expected to be well tested by a Nantes side who were fourth in the table and unbeaten in nine games.
It was the visitors who started the brighter as Remi Gomis went close with an early long-range shot and Oswaldo Vizcarrondo missed with a 10-yard header from Jordan Veretout's cross.
However, Marseille went ahead on 24 minutes when Dimitri Payet delivered into the six-yard box from the right wing for highly-rated playmaker Thauvin to convert for his fourth goal of the season.
© Getty Images
The Nantes response was strong as Gomis glanced wide from Serge Gakpe's free kick, and the same player supplied Georges-Kevin Nkoudou Mbida with a golden chance which was well saved by Steve Mandanda.
Again though the hosts scored against the run of play as Fanni headed in his first goal since February 2013, with Thauvin again showing why he has Premier League admirers with a fine set-piece delivery.
The second sucker punch took a lot out of Nantes, and Marseille were barely troubled for the remainder of the game as they dominated possession and wasted several opportunities to increase their lead.
Thauvin, Giannelli Imbula and Andre-Pierre Gignac all came close to a third, but two was enough for Marseille to keep reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain out of striking distance in second place.
Joe Fish
